Mounting for outboard motors



R. B. OWEN.

MOUNTING FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB\10.1916.

Patented July 4, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR www E'ssss R. B. QWEN. MOUNTING FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB.10,1916.

Patente July 4i, N22

SSHEES-SHEET Z.

INVENTOF WITNESSES R. B. OWEN.

MOUNTING FOR OUTBOARD MOTGRS. APPLICATxoN FILED FEB. lo, 1915.

Patented July 4, 1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

usare srl-ares PATENT FFECE.

MOUNTING FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS.

Application led February 10, 1916.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Bici-IARD B. OWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at llfasliington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mountings for Outboard Motors, of which the following is a specification.

An object of my invention is to provide a mounting for use in supporting an outboard motor on the stern or side of a boat in an operative relation to be capable of swinging movement to raise the propeller' out of the water, and which mounting` has the parts adapted to adjust the propulsion mechanism to vary the depth of submergence of the propeller when set in the operative relation.

A further object is to provide a pivoted supporting yoke by the turning` of which the motor is swung to the operative and inoperative positions, and to construct vthe steering handle, which handle is made detachable, to be fitted to move with and turn said yoke to swing the propeller to the inoperative position, the weight of the power unit being so distributed that as t-he parts are swung to this latter position, return swinging movement is prevented by the counterbalanced weight of the power unit.

A still further obj ect is to so construct the mounting that in the adjustment to obtain the desired depth of submergence of the propeller, all parts will be adjusted as a unit, and if desired, the housing by which the propeller is carried and which is received through the yoke may be slid through the same to permit the engine to be drawn inboard when the yoke is swung to the raised relation.

V ith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter pointed out in connection with the drawings and then set forth in the claims.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a motor mounted after the manner of my invention and with parts shown in section to better illustrate the structure.-

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the supporting v7oke and the means for adjusting` the parts to vary the submergence of the propeller.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view to better illustrate the manner of connecting Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4L, 1922.

Serial No. 77,505.

the supporting brackets.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the supporting yoke.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the mounting brackets.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the squared shaft connected through the yoke lto pivotally mount the same and upon turning movement to swing this yoke.

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of the sleeve fitted around the shaft to form a bearing therefor.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modified form of the supporting yoke and mountings therefor.

Figure 9 is an end view of the structure disclosed in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing another modified form.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of one end of the pivot shaft shown in Figures 10 and 11.

Figure 13 is a view in perspective of the end of the detachable steering handle having the squared socket formed as a part thereof.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary perspective view to show a modied form of the yoke pivot disc.

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 13 showing the arrangement of parts on the steering handle when a structure as that disclosed in Figure 14 is used.

Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 14e with a slight modification in the construction.

In the present disclosure I have illustrated the power unit as being an internal coinbnstion engine of the two cylinder opposed type in which the cylinders are mounted to extend to each side, although it will, of course, be understood that the device of my invention is as well adaptable to use with a single cylinder internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or other forms of power The engine 1 has the fly-wheel 2 thereof disposed on the upper ond of the crank shaft and the fuel tank 3 is preferably placed around the upper crank shaft bearing. A drivershaft housing 4 is shrunk or otherwise rigidly fitted onto the lower crank shaft bearing 5, or this housing et yoke with the mounting Vto might be formed as a continuation of the crank case of the engine structure. At the lower end ofthe vdrive shaft housing 4, a gear casing 6 is supported and the drive shaft 7 is connected withthe crank sha-ft 8 and is extended down through this housing-- to; the `interior ofthe gear casing 6.

A propeller 9, which in the present instance is shown as being 'of the reversible type in which the 4blades may be swung from one angular disposition to a reverse angular setting toaccomplish a reversal of the drive vjacket and cylinders ofthe engine. A propeller operatinglever 12 is pivotally mounted on thecollar 13 which is shrunk or otherwise secured on the upper end of the housing 4 adjacent the crank case of the engine structure, andan `operating rod 14 yis connected from' this operating lever 12 to the shift lever 15 .from which the `desired movement to change the angulai'- disposition of the :blades y Y of the propeller 9V is given. It is preferable Athat the segmental rack 16 be provided to hold Ythis operating lever 12 in the desired position and .that the handle 17 be removably Y.fittedto the voperating lever to be used as an operating handle and at the same time as a steering handle, these parts being preferably constructed substantially in accordance with the structure Vdisclosedv in my co-pending .ap-

plication Serial Number 57,326.

The housing 4is received through a socket opening 18 provided in the yoke 19, the parts being thus so arranged that-the housing is rection, but at the saine time, is allowed turnlield against twistingl movement in any diing movement upon its vertical axis and also endwise sliding movement through l the socket 18. rlhis supporting yoke 19 has the bearing discs 20 and 21 formed at the ends thereof to lie in paralel planes with the cenf tralopenings 22 thereof in alignment` and as shown in the form illustrated in the Figures vstantially the formshown in Figure o 3 and 4, it isfpreferable that these central openings be made square or of polygonal cross section. The mounting brackets 23 and 24, `'of which it is preferable that two of subbe provided` are each constructed independently of the other and have the clamp screws 25 adapted to permit attachment of these brackets on the stern of a boat after the manner shown in Figure 1. Bearing discs 26 are provided for the bracket vmembers 23 and 24, and these discs are provided with the bearing openings 27, which bearing openings are of greater diameter than the diagonal diam- -etei'- of 'thel squared open-ings.A 22. As the bracket members 23 and 24 are independent, it is preferable that some means be provided to hold these members in the proper corresponding relation to be fitted oveithestern transom Dof a boa-t without the necessity of manually adjusting' the same, and the tubular member 28 which is made of substantially the same length as the" space between Athe bearing discs 20 and 2l, is-connected rigidly with each of the bracket members 23 and 24, these bracket members being connected on the ends of the tubular member 28. JThe member 28 has a bore therethrough of siitlicient size that when the brackets 23 and 24 arel fitted with the, bearing discs 26 adjacent the bearing discs 20 and21, the squared shaft 29 maybe fitted through the openings 22 of the yoke member 19 and throughv the bore of the tube 28 so thatithe shaftv holds the yoke member in the proper relation with respect to the bracket members. This squared shaft 29 passing through the squared openings 22 of the'bearing discs of the yoke forms a structure which is substantially rigid in so far as, torsional movement of the shaft or bar 29'is concerned. The shaft 29 `is', provided i-with the oriilices 30 adjacent the'ends thereof and pins 3l may be fitted through these orifices to hold the shaft against endwise displacement, in whichrelation the parts are mounted so that the' yoke and the outboard `motor structure carried thereby can have swinging movement around the shaft as an axis when the bracket members 23 and 24 are clamped to the stern transom of a boat, and at the same time, the shaft 29 presents the projecting squared ends at each side of the mounting.

As has been stated, the drive shaft vhousing 4 is rigidly connected at its upper end on thee-rank case bearing or is formed as a continuation thereof, andlalso the housing is capable of vertical sliding movement through the socket of the yoke member 19, it being preferable that thisy socket be extended down through the sleeved formation 32 as better shown in Figure 4, so that side or front to back twisting movement of the housing when the propeller is in operation will be pre cluded. As the angle of the stern of the. boat and the l'ieight of the same may vary in different boats upon which the single motor may be used, it will be found necessary to make adjustment of the housing 4 with respect to the brackets 28 and 24 and consequently with respect tothe stern on 'which thesame are clamped, and at the same time, it'will be necessary to raise and lower `the housing through the socket opening 18 to accomplish they `desired relative positioning of the gear casino* 6 which will properly submerge the propeller 9. A convenient way iioV of accomplishing the desired angular setting of the yoke 19 with respect to the bracki ets 23 and 24 is shown more particularly in Figures 4, 9, and 11, and as here illustrated certain of the discs of the bearings are provided with a plurality of openings which are disposed in an arcuated line around the turning center of the discs and in each instance, the. discs placed adjacent to the discs having the plurality of openings therein are provided with a single opening 34, the pins 35 being provided to be passed through the openings 34 and into the openings 33, the set ting of this pin 35 in various of the openings 33 acting to hold the yoke 19 in the proper angular disposition with respect to the bracket members. To support the propulsion structure when the parts have been moved to the proper relation by the endwise movement of the housing' 4 through the socket 18, a clamp collar 36 is lit-ted around the housing 4 above the yoke 19 and a clamp bolt 3T is provided to permit loosening of this collar to allow the housing to be raised or lowered through the socket and then by tightening this bolt 37 the collar will be held in the adjusted position to maintain the desired mounting of the parts.

By removing the pin or pins 35, the motor structure carried by the supporting yoke 19 may be swung to substantially the position indicated by the dotted lines of Figure 1, however, it has been heretofore necessary to grasp some part of the engine structure to accomplish this swinging movement and as a special means for swinging the yoke and the motor structure to the raised position where the propeller is out of the water, l provide a squared socket 3S, as is better shown in Figure 13, on one side of the inner end of the operating handle 17, and thus this handle 17 may be removed from the position shown in Figure 1 where it is used to set the propeller and also to turn the housing 4 and consequent-ly the propeller to steer the course of travel of the boat, and then by fitting the squared socket 38 on one-of the extending ends of the shaft 29 and exerting a pulling or leverage action against this handle, the yoke 19 will be swung about its pivotal mounting on the brackets 23 and 24 and in consequence, the motor structure as an entirety will be raised or swung to the inoperative posit-ion. It will of course be understood that the handle 17 can be used just as expeditiously to again lower the motor to the operative relation, in which use the motor can be gradually eased down until the proper angular adjustment of the same is obtained. and then the pins 35 may be inserted in the operative relation and the yoke will be held to maintain the operating parts in the proper adjusted relation.

By mounting the housing 4 to be capable and then disposing the collar 36 to contact with the yoke 19 only by bearing against the upper face thereof around the socket opening 18, a structure is provided by which the motor is held through its own weight in the proper operative relation when swung to the position shown in full lines in Figure 1, but when the motor is raised or swung around its pivotal mounting on the brackets, then the structure as an entirety may be moved to the position shown by the dotted lines of Figure 1 and consequently the structure may be moved to a position that the engine and the parts adjacent thereto will be entirely inboard and only the casing 6, inward movement of which is stopped by the sleeve 32, will remain to project over the stern of the boat.

In the forms of the device shown in F igures 8 and 9, the yoke 19 has the bearing` discs 20 and 21 positioned at the ends thereof and these yokes have substantially circular bores 39 provided therethrough. Fach of the dist-s 21 has a squared boss 40 cast on the outer side thereof around the bore 39 and a cylindrical shaft 41 is provided to be received through the bores of the bracket members 23 and 24 and the circular bores 39 of the bearing discs 20 and 21, this shaft being held in place by the nuts 42 which are screwed onto the threaded ends thereof, or in any other desired and approved manner. By mounting the parts in the manner set forth, and providing the squared bosses 40, the same form of handle as described above and having the squared socket 38 may be fitted to these squared bosses and thenl swinging pressure exerted upon the handle will cause the yoke 19 to be swung around its pivotal mounting on the shaft 41 and infconsequence, the motor will be swung to raise the propeller out of the water. The same form of means for setting the yoke in its swinging adjusted relation with respect to the brackets 3 and 24 may be employed as is set forth above.

1n Figures 10, 11, and 12. a form of mounting is shown in which the yoke member 19a is made slightly shorter than with the forms hereinbefore described and in this adaptation the bracket members 23 vand 24 are mounted on the outer sides of the bearing discs 20LL and 211 thereof, and these bearing discs have the squared openings 43 provided to align with the bearing openings of the bracket members. A shaft 43 is made square throughout its body portion to be received and fitted in the squared openings 43 of the bearing discs 20 and 21, and adjacent its ends this shaft 43 is turned down to provide the bearing portions 44, the eX- treme ends of this shaft being squared as shown at 45, and having their diagonal diametric dimensions of substantially the of sliding movement through the socket 18 same size as the diametrical dimensions of the bearingfportions 44. l/Vith the parts arranged asabove set forth, this shaft 43 may be fitted through the aligned squared openings of the bearing discs or' the yoke 19, the bracket members 23`and 24 are then litted over the lbearing:portions 44 oli this shaft and nuts 46 are screwed onto the threaded outer ends of the bearing portions to hold the shaft against displacement i'ron'i the/yoke and at the saine time, to properly inount'the brackets 23 and 24, it being prelerable that-washers 47 be provided between these brackets and the nuts 46-so that as the yoke and thev shaft may be turned, the nuts will not be loosened from their proper setting on the threads ot the shaft. As the squared ends 45 project beyond the bracket members 23 and 24, the handle similar to that shown in Figure 13 may be litted to swing the yoke 19nl and also the same means for holding the yoke in the vadjusted position may be employed.

As shown in Figure 14, the yoke may be formed with the bearing discs thereof provided ywith'the lcircular central openings as at 48, and the bracket members 23 and 24 may be iitted on the inner sides of the bearing discs and a cylindrical shaft passed through the openings thereof and the openings 48 to thus pivotally mount the yoke on the brackets. At diametrically spaced points thel bearing discs 49 have the openings or sockets 50 provided, and the handle 1T may have the pins 51, as is shown in Figure 15, positioned ,tol extend from one side thereot` in such relation that these pins may be vfitted in the socket openings 50 and thus the handle is positioned to extend radially from thebearingdiscs 49 and by swinging movemen-t of the handle the yoke structure and the engine supported thereby will be swung in the proper relation.

1With the form of the device as illustrated in Figurel, the bearing disc 52 has the -central bearing opening by which the yoke may be pivotally mounted and this bearing disc is notched at 54 at diametrically opposite points, these notches being provided to receive pins similar to the pins 51 which Vare spaced at the proper distance apart.

With the structures as disclosed in Figures 14 andl, the handle acts very much after the nature of a Spanner-wrench and thus the jyokeinay be mountedion the brackets without providing the squared bosses or squared openings on or in the bearing discs y of the yoke.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a very etlicient mounting is provided, which Ywillpermit the adjustment of the propulsion mechanism to fit the angle of the stern of the boat, and also that adjustment may be made to'vary the depth of submergence of the propeller. Further, by the use ot the steering handle the entire engine structure may be swung to the raised position VWhere ythe propeller is entirely out of the water and then when the parts are in this relation, the' entire propulsion unit may be raised as a body to permit a resetting of the clamp colA lai' or to bring the engine structure entirely within the boat.

"While only specific forms of the device i have been illustrated, it willbe understood that an ordinary propeller might be' used,

in which case the steering handle wouldbev preferably made detachable, or that a separate handle i ember might be provided, that the means Jfor holding the yoke in the Vadjusted relation can be varied as well as the torni of the clamp collar, and that various other changes and modilications ycan be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence, l ydo not wish to be limited to the exact disclosure as herein made, but only to such points as maybe set forth in the claims'.

l claim:

1. An outboard motor propulsion unit` consisting oic an engine, a propeller, means for pivotally and slidably supporting said engine upon a support for permitting the engine to be swung from a position outboard to a position inboard and moved longitudinally of said support.

2. An outboard motor propulsion unit consisting of an engine, a propeller, means for pivotally and sli'dably carryingsaid en- Y gine above a support for permitting the engine to be swung from a position outboard to a position inboard and moved longitudinally oiE the support.

3. An outboard motor propulsion unit consisting of an engine, a propeller, and

means for pivotally and slidablysupporting` said 'engine upon a support and being so located as to permit the swinging of said propeller and engine from a substantially vertical to a substantially horizontal position whereby the engine will be swung' from a position outboard to a position inboard. Y

4. An outboard motor propulsion unit consisting of an engine, a propeller, and means for pivotally and slidably supporting said engine upon a support and being located in a position so that the engine may 'be swung to a position inboard from a position ally supporting means for permitting the position of the engine to be quickly and conveniently changed.

6. in outboard motor propulsion unit consistinpoit' an engine, a propeller, a bracket tor supporting said engine and propeller, means for pivotally and slidably mounting said engine and propeller upon said bracket, and quickly rcleasable means carried by said bracket and co-operating with said pivot means whereby said engine may be swung from a position outboard to a position inboard and to one side of said pivot means whereby said engine and propeller will be prevented from accidentally swinging to an outboard position 7. An outboard motor propulsion unit, mounting brackets to be attached to a boat, a yoke by which the propulsion unit is supported connected to have swinging movement from said brackets, said propulsion unit having a connection with said yoke to f permit raising and lowering movement of the unit, means to hold the yoke in the proper adjusted relation with respect to the brackets, means to support the propulsion unit at the proper height on the yoke to carry the propeller properly submerged in the body of water, and means to be removably fitted to the mounting for said unit to swing the same to raise the propeller from the water. i

S. An outboard motor, a mounting to permit movement in a swinging path to raise the propeller, a polygonal extension formed as a part of said mounting, and a handle provided with a socket to be fitted on said polygonal extension in a relation that upon actuation of said handle the motor is swung to raise the propeller.

9. An outboard motor, a mounting to permit movement in a swinging path to raise the propeller, means to be fitted to said mounting to hold the propeller in the proper operative relation, a. polygonal extension formed from said mounting, and a handle provided with a socket to be fitted to the polygonal extension and upon actuation of the handle subsequent to the removal of the holding means to cause the propellerto be swung from the operative position.

10. An outboard motor propulsion unit, a supporting yoke pivotally mounted to carry the propulsion unit and to permit swinging of the same to raise the propeller from the water, said yoke provided with Igripping portions, and a handle provided with gripping portions to interlit with the like portions of the yoke to cause the motor to be swung upon actuation of the handle.

1l. An. outboard motor comprising with a propulsion unit, a supporting yoke, means by which said supporting yoke is pivotally mounted to be attached to a boat, said propulsion unit being mounted in conjunction with the yoke to be capable of movement vertically, means to hold adjustments of the propulsion unit with respect to the yoke, and handle to be removably iitted to the yoke substantially at the point of pivot thereof and to be used in swinging the propulsion unit to raise the propeller thereof.

l2. An outboard motor propulsion unit, a mounting by which said unit is supported to be capable of swinging movement to raise the propeller from the water, a shaft formed as a part of said mounting arranged to have the ends project from the mounting and shaped to form a polygonal extension, and handle provided with a polygonal shaped socket to be fitted to said extension to swing the shaft to raise the propeller.

13; An outboard motor propulsion unit, a mounting by which said unit is support-ed to be capable of swinging movement to raise the propeller from the water, a shaft formed as a part of said mounting arranged to have the ends project from the mounting` and shaped to form a polygonal extension, a handle provided with a polygonal shaped socket to be fitted to said extension to swing the shaft to raise the propeller, and means to be fitted in conjunction with said mounting to hold the propulsion unit in a position that the propeller is in. an operative relation.

lll. An outboard motor propulsion unit. a.

mounting by which said unit is supported to be capable of swinging movement to raise the propeller from the water, a shaft formed as a part of said mounting arranged to have the ends project from the mounting and shaped to form a polygonal extension, a handle provided with a polygonal shaped socket to be fitted to said extension to swing the shaft to raise the propeller, means to be fitted in conjunction with said mounting to hold the propulsion unit in a position that the propeller is in an operative relation, and steering means to which said handle may be fitted when the propeller is adjusted to the operative relation and in which relation the handle is adapted to be swung to steer the course of travel of the boat.

l5. An outboard motor propulsion unit consisting of an engine having housing extending downwardly therefrom and with a propeller carried by the lower end of the housing, mounting brackets to be connected with the boat, a yoke provided with a socket through which the housing is mounted to be capable of turning and endwise sliding movement, means to mount the yoke in conjunction with the mounting brackets to be capable of swinging movement to adjust the motor to the angle of the stern of the boat to which the mounting brackets are attached, and a clamp collar received around the housing above the yoke to be adjustable along the length thereof to permit adjustment of the relative dispositions of the propeller and thus to. vary the depth of submergence thereof.

16. An outboard motor propulsion unit consisting of an engine having a housing extending downwardly therefrom and with a propeller carried by theI lower end of the housing, mounting brackets to-be connected with the boat, a yoke provided with a socket through which the housing is mountedfto be f capablek of turning and endwise sliding movement, means tov mount the yoke in conjunction with the mounting bracketsto be capable of swinging movement to adjust the motor to the angle'of the stern of-thev boat to which the mounting brackets are attached, a clamp collar received around the-housing above the yoke-.to be adjustable along the length thereof to permit adjustment ofthe relative dispositions-of the propeller and thus to vary the depth ofsubmergence thereof, a steering handle to be fitted to turn said housing withinl the socket ofthe yoke to vary the angular drive-of the propeller to thus steer the course' ofv travel ofthe boat, polygonal extensions formed as a part of the mounting, and a'polygonal socket formed on said steering handle to permit thesame to he fitted to the polygonal extensions to swing the motor to raise the'propeller.

17. An outboard motor propulsion unit consisting of an engine having a housing extending downwardly therefrom and with a propellercarried by thel lower end ofI the housing, mounting brackets to be COnnected with the boat, a yoke provided with a socket through which the housing is mounted to be capable of turning and endwise sliding movement, means to mount the yoke in conjunction with the mounting brackets to be capable of swinging movement to adjust the motor to the angle of the stern of the boat to which the mounting brackets are attached, a clamp collar received around the housing above the yokev to be adjustable along the length thereof to permit adjustment` ofthe relative dispositions of the propeller and thusto vary the depth of submergence thereof, a steering handle to be fitted to turn said housing within the socket of the yoke to vary the angular. drive of the propeller tothus steer the course of travel ofthe .boat,polygonal extensions formed asV a. part of the mounting, a polygonalsocket formed on said steering handle to permit the same to be fitted to the polygonalfextensionsto swing the motor to raise the propeller, and means to hold the yoke in the proper' disposition. 

